In honor of National Gardening Day on April 14, I am going to share some gardening tips to get your garden looking glorious. Trust me, once you plant a seed of interest, your passion will grow immensely. All you have to do to get started is follow these ten tips!
1. Choose your location
Before you actually start gardening, you need to find a space that will be beneficial to your plants. Choosing a spot with plenty of direct sunlight and little weeds is the perfect place to begin.
2. Protect your spot
You chose a spot: now you need to ensure it stays there. If you have pets, young children, or frequent visits from rabbits or squirrels, consider buying a small garden fence to protect your plants. If you have a pest or insect problem, consider spraying your plants with a pollinator-friendly insect killer spray.
3. Get garden tools
In order to make your newfound gardening hobby easier, consider buying the following garden tools: gardening gloves, garden hoe, dirt rake and garden transplanter. Later on, you can consider buying pruners or garden stakes.
4. Prepare your foundation
Rip out all of the weeds and dead plants. Use your gardening tools to work the dirt over. Make sure your dirt is completely thawed before you plant anything.
5. Choose your type
You must choose what kind of garden you want. There are different types of gardens. Don’t get me wrong, you can have multiple. (If you decide on multiple types of gardens, refer to the next point.) The types of gardens include vegetable gardens, herb gardens, flower gardens, therapeutic gardens and succulent gardens. The most common type of garden in Minnesota is vegetable gardens, herb gardens and flower gardens.
6. Decide your darlings
You have all of the basic necessities squared away. Now, you can get into the fun stuff! However, if you decide to incorporate more than one type of plant or garden, you must make sure the plants are compatible together. Sometimes, roots can strangle other plants. For example, tomatoes and corn, cucumber and basil, green beans and garlic, sunflowers and potatoes, and butterfly weed and impatiens are all pairs that should not be planted next to each other. There are many other pairs that should be avoided. My advice is to read the tags or packages and pay attention to their needs. Some plants need a lot of water while others can survive on minimal water. Other plants need extra nutrients or fertilizer while some are self-sustaining. Just pay attention.
7. Pay attention and offer care
You cannot just plant seeds and expect them to grow by themselves. You need to figure out what your plants’ needs are and give it to them.
8. Wade through the weeds
This point goes along with the last point. However, some people forget that they need to weed their gardens. If gardens are left unattended for too long, the weeds will suffocate the plants and you won’t have anything to show for your hard work.
9. Have fun
Gardening can be a fun hobby if you change your perspective. Throw on some earbuds, listen to music and incorporate some fun into the task at hand. Is it sunny outside? Great, it is the perfect time to wear that silly-looking sunhat you bought forever ago. Do you share interests with your significant other or best friends? Invite them over! Gardening can be really fun, as long as you enter it with an open mind and a positive perspective.
10. Enjoy!
Whatever type of garden you decided to plant, you will reap the rewards at the end of the season. Flower gardens’ blooms are breathtakingly beautiful. Herb gardens and vegetable gardens produce delicious nutrients to add to your dinner. Therapeutic gardens help minimize symptoms of certain illnesses. The enjoyment one can have with their garden is fulfilling if allowed.
Whether you are reading this article before or after National Gardening Day, don’t hesitate to start a new hobby or continue an old one. If you have tried gardening in the past with varying levels of success then give it one more shot. Nonetheless, I believe you can do anything you set your mind to. Stay safe, and good luck with your gardening endeavors!